Cloud leaped off the bed and threw out a combination in the cramped room.
His movements were no longer crude and savage—they carried the poise of a master.
Every strike contained both power and grace. He could even mimic Mai Shiranui's "Butterfly Fan" (using a coin), and while the power was worlds apart, his form was already on point!
"I... I've become a real fighter?" Cloud stared at his own hands in disbelief.
He was no longer that "back-alley hyena" who only knew how to swing bricks. Now, he was a genuine martial artist with a proper lineage and system!
...
The next day, when Cloud arrived at Terry's training ground looking refreshed and energized, everyone was stunned.
"Hey, Cloud—something's different about you, kid." Terry circled him twice, clicking his tongue in amazement.
The Cloud standing before him looked the same on the outside, but his entire aura had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Before, he'd been like a predator lurking in the shadows, radiating aggression.
But now, standing there quietly with his energy contained, still as a deep pool and steady as a mountain—he actually had the bearing of a true expert.
Mai Shiranui studied him curiously too. Just yesterday, this guy had been running for his life while she chased him around the training ground. How had he transformed overnight, like someone had unblocked all his meridians?
"Nothing much. I just... had a little breakthrough last night." Cloud smiled modestly (humble-bragging).
"Talk is cheap—show me what you've got! Come on, let's spar!" Mai's fighting spirit ignited. She was still holding a grudge about that "accidental kiss" and was looking for payback.
"Happy to oblige."
The two returned to the warehouse. This time, Cloud felt no nervousness at all.
When Mai launched her "Dance of the Blazing Sun" again, Cloud actually closed his eyes.
[Mind's Eye] passively triggered!
In his perception, Mai Shiranui was no longer three afterimages—she was three flowing masses of qi.
Two were faint. One was solid.
There!
Cloud's eyes snapped open. Instead of retreating, he advanced—a clean, crisp side kick aimed precisely at Mai's real body!
"What?!"
Mai's face paled with shock. She'd never imagined her prized illusory movement technique could be seen through so easily!
She hastily tried to change tactics and create distance.
But Cloud's assault followed like a shadow.
"Battle God Step: Storm!"
Cloud's footwork bore a striking resemblance to the Shiranui Style—fluid and unpredictable—staying glued to Mai and denying her any chance to exploit her range advantage.
"Your 'Dragon Flame Dance'—your right shoulder drops for 0.3 seconds before you strike. That's unnecessary wind-up."
"'Dance of the Flying Squirrel' looks flashy, but your core disengages during the turn. That's your biggest opening."
"And this 'Butterfly Fan'—your force is too scattered. If you concentrated the power at the tip of the fan, you'd increase its damage by at least thirty percent!"
While fighting her, Cloud pointed out every flaw he'd discovered through [Deep Analysis] with surgical precision!
The more Mai fought, the more alarmed she became. The more she fought, the more horrified she grew.
What kind of monster is this man?!
He wasn't just mimicking her techniques—he understood them better than she did!
This wasn't a spar anymore. This was a one-sided clinic!
Finally, during an exchange, Cloud caught a tiny opening. His hand-blade stopped gently at her throat.
Victory decided.
Mai stood frozen, staring at this man with his infuriatingly calm expression, her mind a churning sea of disbelief.
Genius? No—that word doesn't even begin to describe this.
This is... a freak of nature!
"How... how did you do that?" she couldn't help asking.
"Because..." Cloud withdrew his hand, leaned in close to her ear, and whispered so only the two of them could hear:
"I've been watching you this whole time."
His warm breath brushed past her ear. Mai's cheeks flushed crimson instantly, and her heart began pounding uncontrollably.
[Ding! Target "Mai Shiranui" affection change: +5 → +20 (This guy... is a freak. But I guess he's not that annoying.)]
Over the following days, the dynamic between them underwent a curious shift.
Mai stopped talking about "payback" and instead pestered Cloud daily to "spar."
Sparring in name. Seeking guidance in reality.
Cloud was more than happy to oblige. He fed her the Shiranui secrets that the system had analyzed, piece by piece.
Under Cloud's "instruction," Mai's strength improved by leaps and bounds. Many bottlenecks that had plagued her for years dissolved like morning mist.
The two frequently fought to a "draw" on the training ground, hormones and ambiguity flying through the air, physical contact inevitable.
The atmosphere around them was thick with the sweet-and-sour scent of budding romance.
Meanwhile, Andy Bogard could only watch silently from the sidelines, feeling like the sky above his head had turned... a little green.
South Town's weather was just like its people—changing on a dime.
One moment it's sunny, the next could bring a torrential downpour.
And right now, Cloud felt like he was standing in the middle of a storm called "Ryo Sakazaki."
It all started three days ago, with something Terry said.